How To Get Rid Of Great Golden Digger Wasp

No one likes to see a giant, stinging wasp in their garden. Here’s how to get rid of great golden digger wasp from your yard and why it may not be necessary to take such drastic steps.

The great golden wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus) is a digger wasp that loves to hunt grasshoppers, cicadas, katydids, and other garden pests.

Even though gardeners see this wasp as a beneficial insect, not everyone wants to see a huge wasp in their garden.

In this article, we show you how to find out if this is the wasp inhabiting your yard and how you can get rid of it if the need arises.

What is This Bug?

The great golden digger wasp belongs to the family Sphecidae (thread-waisted wasps). It is not a social wasp and loves to create its own separate, underground nest.

There are 9,660 wasp species of digger wasps defined under this family. They are easy to identify because they all have thread-like waists.

This bug is easily identifiable because of the tiny golden-colored hair on its head, which is also where it gets its name from.

Great golden digger wasps are native to the west, existing all the way from Canada to North America, Central America, and South America. They have also spread to the Caribbean.

They are known to prey on grasshoppers, katydids, cicadas, locusts, and other members of the Orthoptera family to feed their larvae.

You can watch them in action in fields, parks, and gardens. They love sunny weather and dig their nests in clay or sandy soil. Adult wasps only feed on flower nectar.

What Does it Look Like?

Great golden’s have beautiful, tiny hairs on their head and abdomen. They also have orange or reddish-colored legs and typically grow up to be about one inch long.

The female digger wasps can usually grow larger than the males.

These wasps live all throughout the summer months (from May to august). Their black heads and thread-waisted black bodies are covered by their large wings.

The wings are amber in color, and great golden wasps are a sight to behold when flying. They make rustling noises when in the air.

Where Do Digger Wasps Live?

These wasps are diggers; they dig their nests in the ground rather than hanging them on the roof or a tree branch.

Moreover, great golden wasps are solitary, so they don’t have to make a large colony or a big nest. Adults can be found near flowery plants and don’t live in a nest at all.

When the time comes to lay eggs, the female is responsible for making the nests. She makes her nest most often in open fields rather than in grassy areas.

She digs by cutting the clay or sand with her mandibles. The wasp then carries the soil between her forelegs for about one inch back and throws it away. Her front legs include spiny brushes, which make them perfect for carrying the sand.

The tunnel is narrow and cylindrical, about half an inch in diameter. The nest itself can be as deep as 11 inches deep.

Sometimes, it might be even deeper because digger wasps cannot stand very high temperatures. Deeper tunnels are cooler for larvae. Also, having a lower temperature is conducive for the eggs to hatch.

Once she digs the main tunnel, she also creates a network of secondary tunnels, each one ending in an individual chamber.

Each chamber will be the hatchery for one single egg. After it is completed, the wasp fills up the tunnel entrance with a little bit of soil from around.

She then heads out to hunt for prey for her larvae.

Are They Harmful To Humans?

The great golden wasp is not harmful to humans. It does have a stinger, but it is used primarily to fight cicadas and locusts, not against us.

The adult female has venom in her body, but this is also quite low and will not work on humans. Let’s understand all this in more detail.

Can it sting?

Yes, the great golden digger wasp can deliver a pretty painful sting. However, you must remember that the wasp has no intention of stinging you.

Unlike other aggressive wasps, great golden wasps do not like to sting humans. They prefer to stay away from us.

Is it Venomous or Poisonous?

Yes, they are venomous, but the venom is meant for their prey. They use their stingers to inject venom into the prey, which usually leaves them paralyzed (though not dead).

These insects then become food for the larvae of the great golden wasp. The wasp carries the poor insect back to her nest after laying its egg on it.

Is it Aggressive?

No, the great golden wasp is not aggressive. It does not have any reason for being aggressive. It’s a solitary wasp and does not have a nest to defend.

The only time you would find the wasp stinging you is if you step on it or else try to touch it in some way.

Do you Need To Kill Digger Wasps?

There is no real need to go after these beautiful wasps. They aren’t aggressive, and while their bite stings like hell, it’s not lethal or anything.

Typically, unless you try to get too close to them, the great golden digger wasps will not even attempt to fly near you.

Moreover, these guys are actually of great help to the gardener because they finish off locusts and cicadas, etc., quite quickly. These pests tend to eat plant leaves and defoliate them.

What Kills Ground Digger Wasps?

Despite the fact that the great golden wasp isn’t really a threat, you might not want to see giant wasps buzzing around your yard or garden. This is especially true if you have children or pets and you don’t want to take any risks.

We have listed below answers to some questions about what does or does not kill these wasps. But first, you must understand how to find their nest so that you can use these repellants.

How To Find a Digger Wasp Nest?

If you have a bald patch of ground in your yard or garden, the first place to look for it is there. Digger wasps don’t like to make nests in grassy areas since the grass might end up covering the nest itself.

Look for small, ½-inch diameter-sized holes in the ground. The hole might be covered up, so look for a small pile of soil near it. It might look a bit like a small volcano or an ant hill.

If you find a wasp nest, do not go near it. That’s the easiest way to get stung! Use the techniques we have shared below.

Will Vinegar Kill Digger Wasps?

It might not kill them, but vinegar is an excellent way to repel all types of digger wasps, including the great golden ones.

You can make a little DIY wasp repellant by adding vinegar with water in equal parts and then also adding about two cups of sugar to the solution.

The combined mixture needs to be thoroughly stirred before you can put it near the nest of the wasp. The odor from the vinegar is sure to repel them.

Will Ammonia Kill Digger Wasps?

Ammonia is perhaps one of the most common ways to get rid of digger wasps. You can get ammonia from your nearby hardware store.

Wait for nighttime before approaching a wasp nest because wasps are typically inactive at that time. Cover your arms and legs, and then pour ammonia into the opening of the nest.

Try to cover the hole with a bit of soil and quickly leave the area. The ammonia will kill the wasp larva inside. Keep repeating this every few days until you are sure no new nests are being formed.

Can Neem Oil Kill Digger Wasps?

Neem oil contains the chemical Azadirachtin. This chemical is a natural insect repellant and is useful for removing many types of bugs, including digger wasps.

This chemical acts by destabilizing the hormones of the pest and then reducing its feeding and other activities. Over time, the insect will die when it comes in contact with neem oil many times.

You can spray neem oil near the wasp nest at night. Do it every day for about a week to see results. You can also dissolve it in boiling water and pour it down their nest.

Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Digger Wasps?

Yes, Diatomaceous earth is another good wasp killer. It contains the chemical silicon dioxide in the amorphous state. This chemical is a common ingredient in many insecticides.

DE is nontoxic and non-poisonous to humans. It is very safe to use. Just pour the powder around the spider nests and check for new nests every few days.

Will Soapy Water Kill Digger Wasps?

Yes, soapy water does work on wasps. It will repel them like anything. Just create a solution of dish wash and water and pour it down the nest at night. The poor wasp will not be able to survive for long.

Here’s a very humorous take on this method of attacking wasps.

Will Boric Acid Kill Digger Wasps?

Yes, boric acid works just like vinegar on digger wasps. In fact, it is able to kill the larvae as well as the adults of the species.

Poor the acid down the nest at night time and retreat to a safe distance. Then observe the number of wasps each day and keep pouring boric acid every night. Over time, all the wasps will be killed.

How To Get Rid of Digger Wasps Naturally?

Now that we have talked about some of the harsher methods of getting rid of these poor creatures, here are a few things to keep in mind which will ensure that they won’t come back.

Pour water into your garden regularly. Muddy soil is not where digger wasps like to make their nests. Their larvae can drown in muddy soil.

Don’t leave bald spots in your garden. Bald spots attract digger wasps like anything since they are perfect for making nests. Pour some grass seeds and water them every day to cover up your garden’s bald spots.

Mulch your garden bed. If you do this till about 3-4 inches, it will stop the wasps from digging.

Put some gravel on your lawn (a very fine layer). Gravel prevents digger wasps from being able to dig their holes, keeping your yard safe.

Wasps love to eat cicadas, katydids, and grasshoppers. If you keep their food source away from your garden, digger wasps will have no reason to come there.

Wrap Up

We want to once again put this out there – you don’t need to get rid of the great golden digger wasp. This is a beneficial, non-aggressive insect that helps keep your garden free of pests.

If you still feel that its sting might be a risk to you or your family, you can use the various methods we pointed out, including vinegar, boric acid, soap water, and neem oil. Thank you for reading!